Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Prior GID diagnosis impacts health outcomes of patients with Parkinson's

A new study investigating the incidence and impact of gastrointestinal disorders (GID) among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) found that patients who received both a PD diagnosis and a prior GID diagnosis appeared to have worse health outcomes compared to patients who received a diagnosis for PD with no prior GID diagnosis.

16 Jun 2011

Screening can help overcome barriers to mental health care among African-American youth

Mental health screening has been demonstrated to successfully connect African-American middle school students from a predominantly low-income area with school-based mental health services, according to results of a new study led by the TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. The study was published in a recent online early edition of the Community Mental Health Journal.

16 Jun 2011

Study finds no link between anxiety, depression and weight loss after bariatric surgery

Depression and anxiety do not seem to interfere with the amount of weight loss or the improvement of obesity-related conditions after bariatric surgery, according to a new study of more than 25,000 patients presented here at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

16 Jun 2011

Majority of publicly-insured children unable to get doctor's appointment for medical conditions

Sixty-six percent of publicly-insured children were unable to get a doctor's appointment for medical conditions requiring outpatient specialty care including diabetes and seizures, while children with identical symptoms and private insurance were turned away only 11 percent of the time, according to an audit study of 273 specialty physician practices in Cook County, Ill.

16 Jun 2011

Life Technologies introduces CytoTune-iPS Reprogramming Kit

Life Technologies Corporation today announced the launch of CytoTune-iPS Reprogramming Kit -- research technology that provides far improved efficiency over standard methods to develop induced pluripotent stem cells from human somatic cells.

16 Jun 2011

Brain research funds crisis: Report

According to the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology there is a dramatic drop in private and public funding for research in brain diseases that has led to a “withdrawal of hope” for millions of sufferers and could delay the search for treatments and cures by 30 years.

16 Jun 2011

Bariatric surgery reduces incidence and severity of migraines

Bariatric surgery can lead to total or partial alleviation of migraines in nearly 90 percent of morbidly obese patients diagnosed with migraine headaches, according to a new study presented here at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

15 Jun 2011

Alkermes commences ALKS 5461 phase 1/2 study for treatment-resistant depression

Alkermes, Inc. today announced the initiation of a phase 1/2 study of ALKS 5461 for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). ALKS 5461 is the combination of ALKS 33, a proprietary opioid modulator, and buprenorphine. TRD, which is also known as refractory depression, refers to depressive episodes that are not adequately controlled by standard antidepressant therapy.

15 Jun 2011

Study: Early intervention can reduce recurrences, prevent psychosis

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness that most often comes on in late adolescence or young adulthood and can devastate patients' lives. Many physicians and researchers believe that early intervention can increase the chances for recovery, reduce recurrences and even prevent the warning signs of psychosis from progressing to the actual disease.

15 Jun 2011

Newborn neurons help create emotional context of memory

Fear burns memories into our brain, and new research by University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists explains how.

15 Jun 2011

Roundup: Conn.'s 'moderate' Medicaid cuts; Calif. adult day care threatened; disabled face 'unclear futures'

The national Center for Reproductive Rights filed a federal lawsuit Monday to halt implementation of the requirements that women wanting an abortion must have a sonogram and hear a detailed description of the fetus. The group called the mandates patronizing and an intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship.

15 Jun 2011

New findings from Deplin clinical trial on major depressive disorder presented at NCDEU

New findings from a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study of Deplin 15mg added to commonly prescribed antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors showed that all patients who achieved remission at 30 days using Deplin 15mg adjuvant therapy, and who chose to enter a 12 month maintenance phase, maintained their remission after a year of treatment.

14 Jun 2011

Normal sleep duration linked to reduced depression and increased quality of life

Getting six to nine hours of sleep per night is associated with higher ratings for quality of life and lower ratings for depression, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Perceived racism linked to elevated risk of self-reported sleep disturbance

Perceived racial discrimination is associated with an increased risk of sleep disturbance, which may have a negative impact on mental and physical health, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Study links sleep duration with pressure to maintain thin body among adolescent girls

Sleep duration has a significant association with feelings of external pressure to obtain or maintain a thin body among adolescent girls, especially those who are white, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Sleep-targeted intervention can help prevent suicidal thoughts

Treating sleep problems with cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia can reduce suicidal ideation, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Private vs. public Medicare; N.J. Medicaid tough choices; IPAB's cost controls

Every once in a while a politician comes up with an idea that's so bad, so wrongheaded, that you're almost grateful. For really bad ideas can help illustrate the extent to which policy discourse has gone off the rails. And so it was with Senator Joseph Lieberman's proposal, released last week, to raise the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.

14 Jun 2011

Australian men unhealthy and unwilling to seek help: Report

According to a new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most Australian males are overweight, only 5 per cent eat enough fruit and vegetables and less than a third aged over 15 years participate in organized sport.

13 Jun 2011

Smoking ban in NSW prison

In a new directive, prisoners at the Lithgow jail in central western New South Wales will be banned from smoking in their cells as part of a six-month trial to begin next year.

13 Jun 2011

Survey reveals increase in drinking, cannabis use and psychological distress

The latest survey of Ontario adults from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. The results of the 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, the longest running survey tracking mental health and addiction indicators among adults in Ontario, were published today.

13 Jun 2011